The Energy University: UH's Ambitious Plan to Wed Industry, Education, Research

摘要

There's no question why the University of Houston keeps a close eye on the energy business. "Energy is 50% of the economy in the greater Houston area," said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer for the school. Energy companies provide grants, hold seats on boards, employ graduates and cooperate with researchers. Many of those companies host large research organizations in their own right. "Entry-level positions [in energy fields] can earn twice as much as almost any other major," Krishnamoorti said. "Manufacturing may have traveled elsewhere, but the unique expertise in this discipline is still something the U.S. has maintained." Yet economics isn't the sole impetus behind UH's innovative approach to energy in a university context. The importance of the issues attracts academic ambition. "If you think about what the 10 grand challenges for humanity are for the next 50-100 years, energy, energy sustainability and the impact of energy production on life as we know it will define where we go," Krishnamoorti said.